A business can increase its visibility by having a prominent sign. While a simple sign may suffice to inform the consumer of the presence of the business, it often takes more to bring the consumer inside. A sign which is attractive and customized to the goods or services sold by the store can be more persuasive to prospective customers than a sign which is partially or completely fabricated from components which are obviously stock. Customized signs generally indicate to consumers that the proprietor has put a great deal of care into the business, and a consumer is likely to be pleased with the out come of transactions with the proprietor. Thus there is a demand for custom signs, particularly lighted custom signs, of all dimensions and types, from ground mounted “monument” style signs and hanging signs, which are intended to be viewed from two directions, to wall-mounted signs having one viewing face; from less conspicuous, small lit signs, such as a foot square hotel vacancy sign, to signs several stories high with similar width.
However, most sign construction methods for construction of signs having interior space, serving to contain, for example, lighting means, are unable to be used for the construction of such a range of sign dimensions without changes in design to accommodate large dimensions. For example, one of the factors for keeping down the costs of sign construction is the common availability of the construction components. Thus, the low cost fabrication of a wide variety of sign dimensions is served when the sign components are easily fabricated and usable with little or no customization. For example, component fabrication by extrusion is currently a convenient method for the fabrication of “rail”-type components (a component having essentially a constant profile throughout its length) at minimal production cost. Such components include the long brackets which extend along the edges of the sign, anchoring the sign front and rear faces to the adjacent side pieces (“sign body” pieces). However, not all profile types are easily produced by extrusion, and thus, in some situations, a part is custom must be fabricated according to the specifics of the sign, or even produced through customization of extruded parts. For example, customization needs which could prohibitively raise the cost of sign construction are the need to increase metal thickness or gauge with sign dimension.
Another factor which could raise cost as dimensions change is the need to change the cross sections of the basic structural beam materials in order to meet stability requirements for larger or smaller signs. Such a change is a problem because cost is minimized by designs using pieces which can be easily made by extrusion processes. Many sign construction designs presently on the market rely on extruded pieces which require either extensive cross bracing as sign dimensions increase, or they require the replacement of extruded components with other components having a different profile (for example, increased gauge) such that the design can be used for larger sign dimensions. A design which requires a change in the profile of the extruded components means that sign building companies must have pieces of different cross sections on easily available for signs of different dimensions, adding to the overall cost to build a sign according to the design. It should be noted that custom signs can be costly even before such a price increase in that they generally require the cutting of precisely sized construction elements such as side beams, sign bodies, cross members, and the like.
Current designs also have structural weaknesses as a consequence of aesthetic constraints. In several popular custom sign designs, the sign body is attached to the angle brackets by screws, which are visible on the surface of the sign body. Not only are the screws a target for vandals, they lend an “unfinished” appearance to the sign. However, when constructed using current designs, fastening methods which are less conspicuous/vulnerable to vandals, such as spot welding from the unexposed side, will still leave welding dimples on the exposed side.
A method and design for the construction of custom signs, providing signs of superior aesthetics, as well as excellent strength and stability, across a wide variety of dimensions without necessitating a change in gauge with increasing dimension would be welcome in the art. Such a method having reliance on parts which are easily prepared with present extrusion methods would be even more welcome in the art.